Page 88 - Sharp November 2024

FOOD & DRINK
MOVING MOUNTAINS
CHEF BILL GRIMSHAW CREATES A DINING EXPERIENCE THAT GOES BEYOND
THE PLATE
By Robyn Bell
LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF B.C., JUST OUTSIDE OF
Whistler, lies a luxury chalet and spa overlooking rolling forests. But it’s not just the relaxing and secluded atmosphere drawing people to the Wedge Mountain Lodge and Spa — its menu, led by executive chef Bill Grimshaw, offers a dining experience unlike any other. What’s on the menu? Anything you desire, so long as it’s in season.
Grimshaw has a knack for working with fresh local ingredients and, with the lush nature surrounding the lodge, it’s not hard to gather a bountiful harvest to use for an ever-rotating menu. At Wedge Mountain Lodge and Spa, he flexes his creativity by sourcing items for a menu tailored to a particular palate.
His interest in the culinary arts was first sparked when he worked in the kitchen of a chef who saw early potential in Grimshaw. He offered Grimshaw the opportunity to apprentice in his kitchen and in no time, he was leading his own kitchen team.
“I was actually running a restaurant as the executive chef before I had even finished my apprenticeship,” says Grimshaw. “So, I kind of fell into the executive chef role at a young age.”
He turned 52 in May, and has seen his fair share of bustling kitchens, having previously worked as an executive chef at Basalt Wine and Salumeria at Crystal Lodge in Whistler, and Shaughnessy Restaurant at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. This latest chapter is about slowing down and connecting — with people and the land.
“I really just look after the guests that we have now,” says Grimshaw. “It’s such a special experience for both me and for the guests.” He makes a point of getting to know the guests. His kitchen has an open-door policy where guests can take cooking classes and chat with Grimshaw and his team. “We start with a handshake and we generally end with a hug,” says Grimshaw of the guest experience. “You just build those relationships with people.”
When he’s not at work, Grimshaw is tending to his own garden. Among his tomatoes and rhubarb plants, his mind wanders to new innovations for his next menu. “You know, when I walk through and I see nice produce
or I’m taking the weeds out of the garden, ideas just kind of come to you,” says Grimshaw.
But ultimately, what the guest wants is the driving determinant.
“I feel like the guests get the best experience from me when I just find out what their likes, dislikes, and allergies are,” explains Grimshaw. “I can freestyle menus for them. I think they get the most creative Bill that they can when we do it that way.”
Before the guest arrives, Grimshaw will discuss their preferred meals, catering to any desire, from a multi-plate tasting menu, to a casual taco night. Grimshaw scouts the best seasonal ingredients available — it can be an experience of discovery not just for the guests, but, at times, for Grimshaw as well.
“[Recently], for the first time, I got beef bacon, and I’ve never tried beef bacon, so we got some of that and we used it yesterday for a wedding that we had. And wow,” he says. Soon he won’t need to search far beyond the lodge’s backyard. He plans to set up a garden on the lodge’s property to provide more ingredients to make meals from scratch; anything else he plans to get from local vendors.
“I try to make probably 95 percent of our [dishes] from scratch,” says Grimshaw. Unfortunately, he still has to occasionally buy an item from a store, but he doesn’t plan on doing that forever. “I’d like to even take it another step [further], where we’re trying to bring in almost nothing that’s been pre-made at all.”
Surrounded by nearby farmlands, it’s not hard to imagine the possibilities of what Grimshaw can create. Having escaped the hustle of the city — he splits his time between Wedge Mountain Lodge and his home 20 minutes away in Pemberton, B.C. — Grimshaw seems to be in his element, fully connected.
“It’s a pretty special spot that we’re developing here,” says Grimshaw. “It’s a neat opportunity and I’ve embraced it.”
88 NOVEMBER 2024
SHARPMAGAZINE.COM